Sacred sites of native peoples uncovered by excavations indicate that this has long been a place where the spirit world and the human world come close together. The flat-topped mouontain called Pedernal appears in tribal stories of creation.
Site of O'Keefe painting
It is a place of bones made famous by the artist Georgia O'Keefe, who drew the skull that is the Ghost Ranch logo. Rated as one of the top ten dinosaur fossil beds in the world, the Ranch attracts visitors from all over the world.
Arthur Pack bought the Ranch in 1933 and built a thriving dude ranch that attracted many prominent people. During World War II the Ranch was a secret recreation spot for scientists working on the atomic bomb in Los Alamos. Georgia O'Keefe found the Ranch in 1934. She purchased 7 acres and the Rancho de los Burros house from Pack, and spent summers here for many years. The Presbyterian Church accepted ownership from Arthur and Phoebe Pack in 1955, protecting 21,000 acres from subdivision and development and conserving the natural beauty. Debra Hepler, the Executive Director describes Ghost Ranch as "... an oasis of faith, learning, nourishment and friendship."
At the entrance
Welcome Center
View from Welcome Center portale
7:00 a.m. walking to the labyrinth
Labyrinth
Meals outside, Pedernal in the distance
A good storyteller before bedtime
Starting the hike to Chimney Rock, moon on horizon
View toward Pedernal
The trail is steep
My hiking partner Terrye
View of the Ranch from Chimney Rock Mesa
At the top
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